The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to athletic shoes for use on artificial turf or other hard surfaces including roads. The invention is directed to such an athletic shoe with molded cleats provided on the sides of such shoe, as well as on the bottom of the outer sole, for added traction. The athletic shoes of the present invention are especially useful on artificial turf under wet conditions for playing football, soccer, baseball and other games requiring rapid changes of running direction.
Previously, it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,592 of Cisko, Jr., granted Mar. 24, 1959, to provide baseball shoes with metal spikes including additional spikes provided on one side of the shoe to aid in base running. However, these shoes are not suitable for use on artificial turf because they do not employ cleats of resilient material and are not provided with cleats on both sides of the shoe to enable quick turning in either direction. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,179,942 of Lyne, granted Nov. 14, 1939, shows a golf shoe for use on natural grass which employs additional metal spikes on one side of one shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 1,506,662 of Peller, granted Aug. 26, 1924, shows a similar teaching with respect to a shoe protector having metal spikes provided on the side of such shoe so it would not be suitable for use on artificial turf.
Previously it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,750 of Bowerman, granted Feb. 26, 1974, and corresponding ASTROGRABBER football shoes sold by BRS, Inc., and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,058 of Hollister et al, granted Aug. 23, 1977, to provide an athletic shoe for use on artificial turf with molded polygon-shaped cleats of resilient material provided on the bottom of the outer sole of such shoe. In these shoes, the outer sole extends upward over a portion of the heel and toe portion of the shoe upper. However, such shoes did not employ second cleats on a resilient cover strip of less thickness than the outer sole and which extends around the entire lower edge of the shoe upper. Unlike the shoes of these prior patents, the cover strip of the present shoe covers the entire midsole and heel lift layers as well as the entire lower edge of the shoe upper. Furthermore, since the cover strip is of less thickness it can easily wrap around the bottom of the shoe upper and the outer sole for more secure bonding thereto, and the outer sole layer can be made of greater thickness for increased wear and greater cushioning.
It has been previously known to apply conventional walking shoes, including the shoes shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,405,498 of Gregg, granted Aug. 6, 1946, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,063,227 of Calvin, granted Dec. 8, 1936, with ribs or projections on the bottom and/or side of the shoe sole, or on foxing covering such sole and the bottom portion of the shoe upper. However, these ribs are not in the form of cleats which are laterally and longitudinally spaced from each other along the sole to provide better traction for movement in both longitudinal and lateral directions. Also, in the case of the latter patent, no molded projections or cleats of any kind are employed on the bottom of the shoe sole. Thus, both of these shoes are totally unsuitable as an athletic shoe for use on artificial turf.